The present invention relates generally to a top lift assembly for a shoe heel and, more particularly, to a dowelled top lift assembly for a shoe with a high heel having an anchor member made of a first harder material and a top lift member made of a second softer material.
A shoe top lift assembly is the bottom-most part of a shoe's heel which comes into contact with the ground during walking. A top lift assembly can be used on a wide variety of shoes and includes a top lift member having a bottom surface which comes into contact with the ground surface. A dowelled top lift assembly is an assembly used typically on women's shoes having an elevated heel. The dowelled top lift assembly is molded around a pin or dowel which projects upwardly from the assembly and is attached or otherwise driven into the bottom of the heel of the shoe.
The top lift members typically wear out fast and then the shoes are either thrown away or taken to a shoe repair shop for replacement of the top lift members. For the comfort and safety of the wearer, the top lift assembly should be both firmly and reliably retained in a shoe heel and should also exhibit good cushioning and non-slip characteristics. In other words, the top lift assembly should provide firm support to retain control and prevent injuries.
Prior art dowelled top lift assemblies are constructed from a metal dowel and a material having a single hardness, typically a hard thermoplastic material. However, the prior art dowelled top lift assemblies made totally from a single hard thermoplastic material have inferior non-slip characteristics and such inferior non-slip characteristics can result in accidents with injury to the user. On the other hand, dowelled top lift assemblies made totally from a single soft material cannot retain the dowel pin in a secure manner because soft materials do not adhere well to the metal dowel and such inferior joinder can cause undesired disengagement of the metal dowel from the heel. Such disengagement can also result in accidents with injury to the user.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide an improved dowelled top lift assembly which promotes secure adhesion between the top lift member and a dowel pin.
It would also be desirable to provide a dowelled top lift assembly for a shoe which has improved non-slip characteristics and enhanced cushioning.